With the release of 11 black rhino in the reserve, Somkhanda Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal has become the first game reserve on community-owned land to become a partner in the World Wildlife Fund  (WWF) / Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The rhino were donated to boost tourism in the area.

The objective of the range expansion project is to increase the land available for the conservation of the species, reducing pressure on existing reserves and providing new territory where the animals can increase their numbers.

The Gumbi community owns the reserve as a result of a successful land claim involving five commercial game farms under the land restitution programme of the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs. Community leaders decided to zone the land for economic sustainability rather than transforming it in settlement or farming land. The zones include areas for conservation, development and commercial cattle farming.